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Bad News

We thought we’d share a horrible incident that a colleague in another practice saw this weekend in the hope it might help save such a terrible thing happening in future

WASP NEST DANGER

“A client lost her horse today in a horrendous way after it was attacked by a swarm of wasps sometime in the early hours of this morning. She had been shut in her field shelter for the first time in a while and the owner had not realised there was a wasp nest in there. Sadly she was severely traumatised from where she had been fighting back against this ‘invisible enemy’ and had to be euthanased.

The owner has asked me to spread the word for people to check stables and shelters for nests if they have not been used for a while. If there is a known nest in the vicinity, people should make the effort to get it removed – the consequences could be fatal and for this horse it’s last few hours were unimaginably distressing. If this saves one horse she will be happy something positive has come of her awful experience.”

Horse Box

So here, we seem to have Murphy’s law situations where ‘ Anything that can go wrong will go wrong’ type of year and again we’ve suffered yet another blow. So there we have it the horse box that’s hauled thousands of horses to safety over the years has seen better days. We’re wondering here if it’s even worth fixing but we can’t be without a horse box at the ready.

Just another bill we didn’t need and certainly can’t afford right now. Does anyone want to contribute to help get it back on the road? any donation would be greatly appreciated and a step in the right direction.

Marty’s Misery

Yesterday, Hungry Horse Outside visited a site in Co. Monaghan following a complaint made by a member of the public concerned about the well-being and conditions a Shetland pony was being kept in. Upon arrival at the site, the team discovered an elderly Shetland pony, later named Marty, in an appalling condition. His hooves grossly neglected and overgrown. A case which clearly did not develop overnight.

Marty as he was abandoned in Co. Monoghan

It became apparent that he would need to be removed immediately and receive urgent treatment. After a little rearrangement of the day, we successfully removed him from the situation with the help of the relevant authorities.
Little Marty was taken directly to the vet for the immediate commencement of his treatment. There, x-rays were taken to assess the damage caused to him and a course of treatment decided. Fortunately, for Marty his future is starting to look bright.

BeforeHaving his X-rays done by the wonderful all creatures vets in Co. Monoghan

After the vets had assessed him, he received farrier treatment to make him more comfortable, eventually at 9 pm last night, we were given the okay to bring Marty home, for the first time in god knows how many years, he slept comfortably on a big bed of straw, his belly full and looking a little relieved. This morning he is walking much better and is starting to feel more comfortable and brighter in himself.

Having his hooves examinedAfter

To think in 2018, we’re still struggling with damn right ignorance, stupidity and neglect. There is no excuse for this behavior and absolutely no excuse for gross neglect. Perhaps, once upon a time little Marty was part of someones family, suddenly he’s surplus to requirements, he didn’t even mean enough to his so called owners to spend €20 euro to keep his hooves trimmed, absolute torture and indifference was chosen over adequate care.

Perhaps, an old man like Marty wasn’t worth the effort, he had no monetary value, so why bother? It’s not a good enough excuse to leave him suffer the way he did. We’ve heard all the excuses and they just aren’t good enough. We want change.

We need to thank all parties involved for their quick action, from the authorisation, to the vets and the farrier for priortising Marty.

As it stands Marty will need all the support he can get, his rehabilitation is only beginning.

If you would like to donate towards Marty’s care you can click the link below. We can’t continue to help without your support.

Another day Another Animal in Need

Safe and warm with a belly full of food

This teeny tiny little man came to us last night through the Warden. He needs special care and is safe with one of our volunteers now. He is about 5-6 weeks old and has a deformity in his front leg, making it difficult for him to get around. We’ve decided we’ll fund his care as we do with all special needs and unwanted dogs in Longford but we’d appreciate your help to put him on the right road to recovery.

Right now he is exhausted and constantly hungry.
At the moment, we are waiting on an x-ray appointment to see exactly what is wrong with his leg, which should be happening this evening. Once we are fully aware of what has happened him, we’ll continue his treatment as recommended by the vet. We’ll know more about the costs of this treatment as soon as we can get the xray results.
In the interim, he needs micro-chipping, vaccination, worming, defleaing and some puppy milk, together with his initial vet fees.

It is only really when you look back on their rescues, you appreciate how far they have come.

When HHO was called to a horrendous scene last year, we were met with carcass upon carcass. A field of horses absolutely famished with hunger, but we were to unearth something even more sinister upon inspection. A shed full of ponies starving to death, no sign of food or water, no light just days spent locked inside a dark shed with no contact of any kind. Of course each one of them were loaded up and brought home, 18 horses in total.

One of whom was a little chestnut mare we named Saidie. Not only was Saidie starved with in a fraction of her life, we soon discovered she had other problems, an old neck injury which caused her whole head to tilt to one side. Upon examination it was deemed it would never be fixed but caused her no distress and she would lead a normal life, although she would look unusual, we quietly accepted it and set about her rehabilitation.

Saidie and her comrades received all the treatment they needed but she herself never seemed to gain ground. Even after months of good food, good worming and good care she looked almost the same as she did on the day she came in. We persevered, as did Saidie. What seemed like a life time later Saidie suddenly started to look and feel better, a feeling she may not have ever felt in her lifetime.

Seeing Saidie galloping, her head tilted to one side yet still bucking and playing, so happy to be alive. It was heart warming, something we never thought we’d see. Saidie settled in to life at HHO, we even moved her for the summer to our permanent residents never thinking she would be re homed, an air of acceptance that she was part of the long term herd, with that she suddenly began thriving.

Then completely out of the blue one of our previous adopters got in touch , inquiring about our saidie, we explained her problems both past and present but there was no deterring this wonderful family. She was to be their special girl. As we loaded Saidie last Thursday a mix of joy and overwhelming emotion rushed over us. She walked to the lorry like a pro (head still twisted to one side) and up she jumped, one last look at us and she was gone. Off to her new life.

We waited anxiously for news, then early Saturday morning we received it. Saidie was home, she had finally arrived at her forever home and her family are thrilled with this special girl. Saidie’s story gives us hope for everyone. Saidie will now have the life we could never give her, a life we could only dream of. Good luck Saidie, as always it has been a pleasure, we wish you all the best in life.

much love, all at the HHO.

This is Saidie enjoying life to the full in Germany with her wonderful new owner & best friend Elvira

Loughrea Update

Forgotten horses and hho wormed and microchiped the remaining ponys but again there was another down

Update 11/1/2017
Our little Loughrea darling managed to stand today with a little help. She has a small bit of fight. As you can see she is literally skin and bone. We’ve everything crossed for our girl. Please keep her in your thoughts we’re willing her to get stronger. Come on girl!!!

Final Update

Sadly, no matter how hard we tried, little Starlight did not have the strength to continue her fight. She slipped away to rainbow bridge joining so many of Ireland’s forgotten horses. Run Free our little darling.

Another horse lost needlessly in Ireland 2016!!!!
Words cannot express the sorrow, anger and utter frustration we at HHO are feeling.
When is this going to stop? What sort of people are guilty of this degree of absolute mental and physical torture to an innocent animal?

This poor girl was locked in a shed with hardly enough room to turn – a dirty, squalid coffin.
Months locked in the dark with his own excrement piling up.
Slowly but surely starving to death, all the while not understanding why and chewing at the wooden rafters through terrible hunger and mental anguish.

We got there too late. We got her out of this deplorable place but in her extreme emaciated state and on veterinary advice there was nothing that could be done but extend a kind hand and an act of compassion. Remain by her side as she slipped from this terrible existence.
We mourn her loss and rage at the senselessness of it.

Please, please help us.
Somebody among us – mother/father/brother/sister/friend – were responsible for breeding this horse – and then responsible for the shocking life she was forced to endure.
Somebody knew about his plight but did nothing.

Don’t be that person.
Be the person who acts, do something – don’t just share it on facebook.
call who-ever you have to and keep calling until you get action.
Do not walk away

The past number of days have passed in a haze of anger, confusion, exhaustion. Endless rounds of vets, tears of disbelief and sadness. Our small team pulling together as always and supporting each other, all with a common goal and desperately willing horses to keep fighting.
Sadly 3 of the Briar Hill rescued horses have now given up the fight. We’re so angry, we tried so hard for them. No one has any idea of the lengths we went to to try and save them, we gave them every chance of survival. 24 hour care, did everything we could think of to encourage them to fight back just a little, but sadly in the end all we could do is comfort them and show them kindness.
To see horses give up is terribly sad, fall down before our very eyes is heart wrenching.
Little Sunbriar who fought all winter to keep herself and her little foal alive, little Sunbriar the most remarkable little mare, this girl not only tried to rear her foal from 2015 but also had Briar her foal from 2014 trying to feed from her. Sunbriar and Briar are now at peace. Sunbriar’s foal is now being reared by one of our volunteers.
Briar Rose was the first one to give up the fight, she was a little stronger and we clung to hope that she might have it in her to fight but she didn’t, she’d just had enough. Her help arrived too late.
Tonight we are sad, tomorrow we’ll probably be angry but one thing for sure is we won’t let these horses die in vain.

We never ever expected our post from last night to be shared so far and we thank each and every one of you that has offered help in some way or another.
We still need the support of the public, to keep up the treatment of the remaining Briar Hill rescued. But also to help us help the 10 still left on BRIAR HELL.

So we’ve been to Briar Hill again and uncovered even more carcasses of Ireland’s forgotten. We’d been previously warned of the mad scurry of horse boxes in the area the past number of days, efforts to remove horses before we got the rest. 10 left behind on site now, presumably the ones they left run wild and weren’t able to catch. To think this place is right beside a racecourse and beside it Ireland’s forgotten Horses rotting in to the ground.
This site is the stuff of nightmares, those who we managed to rescue are so weak it is horrifying, heart breaking and disgusting. We’ve already lost two of the rescued souls.

To see a mother so weak trying to rear her rack of bones foal and to see her yearling trying to feed from her too is more than disturbing it is gut wrenching, a little mare who has known nothing only horror but is so kind. Animals starved within an inch of their lives.
Briar Hell 3 will be underway next week and we’ll need an army of people to get the remaining 10 off it. This area is between 30-40 acres and the horses untouched, many won’t know what a bucket is, many will not have had any handling. We’ll need man power, donations of feed, headcollars and of course financial support if we are to make any difference to the unfortunate animals in this hovel and stop it’s reoccurring

he never ending saga of donkey abuse in Ireland.
HHO last week took in another 4 donkeys, 1 stallion & 3 mares, in absolutely Shocking condition. Their little hooves twisted with one little mare suffering particularly badly particularly.. She was so happy to get a dry soft bed to lie down. The little creatures are bald on their backs and ears from constant exposure to rain and wind. Hidden beneath hairy coats, they are skin and bone their little bellies bloated from malnutrition. The stallion running with the mares it is possible all are in foal, we will have to scan them to confirm this however in the event they are in foal it is unlikely any foal would survive given the condition of the mares, particularly the smallest lady. God help them but they are really friendly and trusting in spite of what they have gone through. It is heartbreaking to see them get agitated when the feed time comes- only because they have been hungry for so long. Their little noses are covered in scabs from rummaging in the dirt for food. As you know, we have to be very careful with their feeding now, we’ve our finger crossed they deserve a chance.a life they were never given before.